1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous preform device for a composite stringer formed of a prepreg and used as a structural member such as a fuselage of an aircraft, where the prepreg is a composite prepared by impregnating carbon fiber or the like with a thermosetting resin.
2. Description of the Related Art
When the fuselage of an aircraft or the like is produced from a composite, a reinforcing member known as a stringer, which is a long member having a cross section of a so-called hat shape or omega shape, is used as a structural member.
WO 2005/011961 A1 discloses a technique for forming a reinforcing member from a composite of this type.
The technique disclosed in WO 2005/011961 involves supplying composite sheet to an upper face of a forming die called a mandrel, pressing the composite against the mandrel from the upper surface thereof with a roller, and thereby forming a long sheet with a desired cross-sectional shape.
A predetermined number of composite sheets thus formed are laminated one after another to form the reinforcing member.
The technique disclosed in WO 2005/011961 produces a molding such as a long reinforcing member by forming composite sheets, but the reinforcing member is produced by forming and laminating a predetermined number of the composite sheets one after another rather than by forming a laminated sheet at once.
The stringer used for the fuselage of an aircraft needs a longitudinally twisted shape in addition to having a curvature longitudinally along the shape of the fuselage according to placement locations.
An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous preform device capable of preforming a composite stringer which satisfies the above requirement, in a single series of successive processes.